Howdy! I just created my account here at B&B. 50-ish guy who got sick and tired of paying ridiculous sums for cartridges. My Electric razor was OK but left some shadow and some razor burn on my neck. Regular cartridge razors usually give me burns too--maybe I have sensitive skin.
My first attempt at serious shaving was with a straight blade a couple of years back. With regular can shave cream and a cheap blade, I was not impressed -- but at least I didn't slit my jugular or cut my nose off! It really dragged and caught on the hairs, and I wasn't up for learning how to properly sharpen and maintain a straight blade. So went back to my electric razor.
About 3 weeks ago I purchased a Van Der Hagen (VDH) razor from Walmart and was was impressed. So I decided to upgrade my can cream to some Proraso and a moderately priced/quality synthetic brush. That made a great improvement! I then ordered Astra blades and that sent things to the next level -- VDH blades were not very sharp after all I guess.
So now I am enjoying my recent eBay acquisition: a Gillette SS Red Tip (B-2 / 1956) which beats the pants off the VDH. I am also waiting for Santa/UPS to bring me the following:
1. Gillette SS Flare tip with black handle (O-1 / 1969)
2. Gillette Knack SS blue handle N-1 / 1968
3. Gillette Adjustable N-1 (1968)
4. A modern 3-piece razor from a local razor/shave specialist (don't know the brand)
Add to that a cool razor/brush/bowl stand, an alum bar, some Thayer's Witch Hazel, a sampler pack of blades, a small pack of Feathers and 100 Astra blades. Oh, and the best -- some Barbershop in a Bottle a la Pinaud Clubman after shave. My wife refers to my Clubman as: "100 year old man in a bottle." Hmph.
I never woulda thought that I'd go home at the end of the day and shave at night because it gives me more time to enjoy my shave.
By the way: I massively prefer ice cube chilled water for shaving instead of the usual hot water treatment! --a habit acquired when living in the mountains in Colorado. Brrrr!
My first attempt at serious shaving was with a straight blade a couple of years back. With regular can shave cream and a cheap blade, I was not impressed -- but at least I didn't slit my jugular or cut my nose off! It really dragged and caught on the hairs, and I wasn't up for learning how to properly sharpen and maintain a straight blade. So went back to my electric razor.
About 3 weeks ago I purchased a Van Der Hagen (VDH) razor from Walmart and was was impressed. So I decided to upgrade my can cream to some Proraso and a moderately priced/quality synthetic brush. That made a great improvement! I then ordered Astra blades and that sent things to the next level -- VDH blades were not very sharp after all I guess.
So now I am enjoying my recent eBay acquisition: a Gillette SS Red Tip (B-2 / 1956) which beats the pants off the VDH. I am also waiting for Santa/UPS to bring me the following:
1. Gillette SS Flare tip with black handle (O-1 / 1969)
2. Gillette Knack SS blue handle N-1 / 1968
3. Gillette Adjustable N-1 (1968)
4. A modern 3-piece razor from a local razor/shave specialist (don't know the brand)
Add to that a cool razor/brush/bowl stand, an alum bar, some Thayer's Witch Hazel, a sampler pack of blades, a small pack of Feathers and 100 Astra blades. Oh, and the best -- some Barbershop in a Bottle a la Pinaud Clubman after shave. My wife refers to my Clubman as: "100 year old man in a bottle." Hmph.
I never woulda thought that I'd go home at the end of the day and shave at night because it gives me more time to enjoy my shave.
By the way: I massively prefer ice cube chilled water for shaving instead of the usual hot water treatment! --a habit acquired when living in the mountains in Colorado. Brrrr!
